River Water

مَاءُ النَّهْرِ

River water (Māʾ al-Nahr)

Ruling (Ḥukm): River water is ṭāhir and muṭahhir, and is treated as running (jārī) water. Because it is in a state of flow, a small amount of impurity falling into it does not make the whole river impure, unlike still water, so long as the colour, taste or smell of the water is not changed by the impurity. It is valid for wuḍūʾ, ghusl and removing najāsah.

الْمِيَاهُ الَّتِي يَجُوزُ التَّطْهِيرُ بِهَا سَبْعَةُ مِيَاهٍ: (١) مَاءُ السَّمَاءِ، (٢) وَمَاءُ الْبَحْرِ، (٣) وَمَاءُ النَّهْرِ، (٤) وَمَاءُ الْبِئْرِ، (٥،٦) وَمَا ذَابَ مِنَ الثَّلْجِ وَمَاءُ الْبَرَدِ، (٧) وَمَاءُ الْعَيْنِ.

The waters with which purification (ṭahārah) is valid are seven: (1) sky/rain water, (2) sea water, (3) river water, (4) well water, (5–6) melted snow water and hail water, (7) spring water.

Source: Nūr al-Īḍāḥ wa-najāt al-arwāḥ fī al-fiqh al-Ḥanafī (نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح في الفقه الحنفي), p. 13